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Bodh
Population: 13,400 (100% Human) Government: Theocracy Religions: The Way (The Empty Religion) Imports: Shou Silk, Steel, Lumber Exports: Barley, Copper, Fur Life and Society The clothing of Bodhi peasants is fashioned most commonly from yak and sheep wool, and dyed colors such as bright red, and forest green, though the harsh terrain and ill repair of most peasants’ clothing dulls their once vibrant colors. Men wear conical caps or nothing on their heads at all, while women braid their hair. Noblemen wear imported silk gowns and style their hair in knots, in which jeweled hair accessories are applied. Noblewomen wear flashy and elaborate silk dresses decorated in jewels, bells and chimes. Bodhi lamas wear flowing robes of red, yellow, or orange, and shave their heads bald. During the spring, the air temperature of the nation is such that one can walk around comfortably in the flatlands with nothing but a light overcoat. The high altitudes, cold winds and glaciers cause the temperature to remain quite cold the rest of the year. During the cold months, the people of Bodh wear thick overcoats made up of yak and Yeti hide, along with heavy caps with earflaps, made of the same materials. Tea is the most common beverage served in Bodh. The Bodhi prepare their tea by boiling water, and then dropping tea leaves in the water and allowing it to boil for five to ten minutes, until the infusion is black and opaque. Butter made from yak milk, or goat milk is then added into the brew, vigorously mixed, and served. Unlike the Shou, sugar is never used in their tea- instead, salt is added. The reason for this is twofold- butter and sugar are easier to obtain in Bodh than salt, and butter gives those who drink it more energy, and also helps chapped lips from the high altitudes and cold temperatures. Chang is an alcoholic beverage made from barley that very closely resembles, visually and in taste, beer. Pinjopo, as wine made from rice that is fermented is another alcoholic beverage that is common in Bodh. The cuisine of the Bodhi people is fairly bland, because of the nation’s location- few crops grow in the altitude that Bodh exists in. Dough made from barley, known as tsampa, is the staple of Bodhi food. Tsampa can be rolled into noodles, pressed into flatbread (called ‘''Balep Korkun''’), turned into dumplings (called ‘''Momos''’), or a variety of other things. Meat, fruits and vegetables are something of prestige items in Bodh, and as a result, are not as prevalent in their cuisine, and are generally reserved for the more well to do. Meat dishes are made most commonly of yak and goat, and are primarily dried, to prolong their lifespan. Vegetables are cooked into stews. Fruits are regarded as desert items, and are generally eaten after main meals. Cheese, yogurt and butter are commonly cultivated from yaks and goats, and are incorporated into meals as well. Men are generally seen as the providers of families, while women are generally raise the family, but that does not prevent women from tending to duties outside of the home and men from tending to duties inside the home. Only among villages close to the Shou border, or among certain nobles, are women generally seen as subservient to men. Because of the harsh existence that most Bodhi live, men and women are seen as equals. In Bodh, nomadic peasants live in tents made of cloth, or tents made from the cured hides of oxen. Most live in permanent homes, made of tamped dirt walls, a few beams of wood, and flat thatched roofs. Because of the small amount of actual rainfall that most Bodhi settlements receive, buildings are not normally constructed with arched roofs, to channel snow and rainwater off of. Most have protective walls made of mud and brick built around them. Extended families share housing, and often times, large settlements are composed entirely of one large family. Those who are more well to do live in permanent homes that are similar in contraction to those that certain lucky peasants live within, but only grander. For example, homes consist of more than a single floor, roofs may be tiled, and the home itself built of higher quality materials. Nobles living in these homes traditionally live on the upper levels of the home. Lower levels are designed to show off wealth, while upper levels are designed for storage and living. Because of its relative isolation and abundance of copper, all coins minted by the Bodhi government are made of copper. Every coin is given a different marking, to denote different values. Like most other nations, they mint coins with denotations equivalent to copper coins, silver coins, and gold coins. The nation is very old, and because of periodic invasions by the Shou Empire, it embraces its history and culture even more, to differentiate themselves from the Shou. The kingdom’s most notable feature is religion, an aspect that governs most aspects of the nation. The kingdom’s state religion, adhered to by almost all of the population to varying degrees, is known as The Way. To others, because of it’s content, this religion- which is more of a philosophy than a religion- is known as ‘The Empty Religion’. According to The Way, concepts such as good, evil, law, and chaos are simply artificial constructs of the mortal world. In truth, the universe is empty of such labels, and it is only when one truly frees himself from thinking in such ‘black and white’ terms does he reach a transcendental state, where he discovers that the universe is in fact empty- and reality is one’s to shape as they wish. If a person does not reach this state before they die, they are reborn and live life once more. Depending on their karma, the total sum deeds committed in life, they are born in more or less fortuitous positions in their next life. The Way is taught in monasteries by monks, known in the Bodhi language as ‘''gompas''’ and ‘''lamas''’, respectively. Religion permeates all aspects of society, and as a result monks and religious holy men enjoy considerable respect and political power. Indeed, the ruler of the kingdom is a monk, the High Lama. It is because of this that religion and nationalism are so closely linked- Bodh is The Way incarnate, and The Way is as Bodh incarnate. Major Geographic Features Bodh is a harsh and desolate land nestled in the Khazihari Mountains. The land has a climate that reflects this fact. For most of the year, the flatlands and valleys within the mountains are covered in massive snowdrifts and frozen glaciers. Spring lasts only last six to eight weeks, and the arid and rocky soil- curiously high in copper content- prevents all but the most hardy of crops, such as barley and scrub crabgrass, from growing. The higher in elevation, the colder it gets. Despite being a mountainous region high in altitude, the region does not exhibit much temperature variation between seasons- when it is the winter, it is always cold, and when it is the spring, it is always pleasant. The average temperature during the winter months is 20 degrees, and the average temperature during the spring months is 60 degrees. As a result of the geography, most of Bodh is unsettled. The only true bastions of civilization within Bodh are the few cities and gompas- the Bodhi word for ‘monastery’- scattered across the nation. Small villages and towns exist, but most are nothing more than farms tended by large, extended families banding together for safety and protection. On the borders of the nation with both the Shou Empire and the Shadowlands, the wilderness can be dangerous, as bandits, Yeti, and fouler creatures roam unmolested. Because of its physical features, Bodh has a very limited spectrum of flora. The most common plant growing in the mountainous regions is barley, which peasant farmers rely on most heavily as their staple food. Few trees exist at the higher elevations, or on the flat plateau lands, but juniper and willow trees are the common in the valleys of. Pansies, rhododendron and oleander are the most common flowers found across the nation, as well as unique indigenous flowers like the Tsu-Tog, a light pink, high altitude wildflower found only in the Khazihari Mountains. In lower altitudes, on the border with the Shou Empire, there exist small forests of pine, fir and spruce. Bodh has an exorbitant spectrum of fauna, however. It has numerous species of birds, such as the black-necked crane, the bar headed goose and the lammergeyer, as well as grebes, pheasants, snow chickens and partridges. Other mammals include the Bodhi antelope, the Bodhi yak, the mountain sheep, and the yellow electric pika. The most rare of all of Bodh’s fauna is the snow leopard, which can only be found in Bodh. Lake Tashi-do is a large freshwater lake found within the peaks of the mountains. It is the highest elevated lake on the entire continent. It is from Lake Tashi-do that the Yarling River flows from. The Yarling River flows southwards and joins with the Chi’i River in-between Lake Lui Shi and Lake Shen Hu. Important Sites Holy City of Bön -Bön is the largest city in Bodh, and serves as both the nation’s capital city and holiest city. Located far in the northern reaches of the kingdom, Bön is said to be a forbidden city, because outsiders are forbidden to enter into it. Indeed, over the years, very few outsiders have ever been given the honor of stepping foot in the city. For many Bodhi, it is a pilgrimage site. Sakya -Located on Bodh’s eastern side, Sakya is the kingdom’s second largest city. The first permanent settlement in the kingdom, Sakya is the nation’s former capital. The city is still important, however, being home to many of the oldest religious and cultural institutions in the country, as well as the Winter Palace of the High Lama. Amdo -Located near the Bodhi/Shou border, Amdo is Bodh’s most populous city. Historically, Amdo has been claimed by both the Holy Kingdom of Bodh as well as the Shou Empire, so as a result, the city has a fairly diverse population. Regional History The proto-Bodhi people lived in the region just south of the Khazihari Mountains and in the northern reaches of what would become the Shou Empire for years untold. Very little historical artifacts of the era exist, and at the time, the proto-Bodhi did not have written language. Historians are unsure as to whether or not the proto-Bodhi people were a part of the ethnic Ryukan people that lived in the area before the Shou came, if they were an offshoot that developed their own distinct culture, or if they were a totally separate ethnic group all together. Regardless, all would change in UC –2,000, when the Shou people arrived from Jadespace. Though it would be years before the Shou and the proto-Bodhi people first interacted, the Shou inadvertently brought with them a secondary group of interlopers that had a large impact on the proto-Bodhi and would shape them into the ethnic group we now know as the Bodhi. A group of Oni led by the ferocious sorcerer''' 'Takarudo followed on the coattails of the Shou, and arrived in Okarth from another world or plane in the lands that would become the Shadowlands. At the time, the Shadowlands were uncorrupted hill lands, vales and valleys. The presence of Takarudo and his ilk began corrupting the land itself, slowly transforming it into the Shadowlands that exist today. The proto-Bodhi people who lived in those northeastern regions came into violent conflict with the Oni. Because, for the most part, the proto-Bodhi people were simple peasant farmers, the Oni quickly swept across what would soon become the Plateau of Ash and into the mountains without much actual resistance. When the people living closer to the Khazihari Mountains learned of the slaughter of their brethren, and the danger that was spreading from the east, they fled up into the mountains themselves for protection. It was in the mountains that the proto-Bodhi people evolved to possess the Bodhi culture that they are identified with today. The first permanent city located in what would become the kingdom, Sakya, was settled in UC –1,998. It was here that Bodhi culture was born, as different tribes and families from the Shadowlands came together and intermingled. While some moved on, others decided to stay in Sakya and fight the monsters who periodically ventured into the mountains from the Shadowlands. By UC –1,700 the majority of the large valley that makes up the breadth of the kingdom was settled. The various settlements were generally autonomous and amounted to farmsteads and settlements of friends and families, rather than comprehensive villages and towns. Sakya continued to be the largest and most politically affluent settlement in the kingdom. The military might that they developed as they continued to periodically repel Oni from the Shadowlands would shortly be turned eastward, as armies from the city began conquering other smaller settlements, expanding their own sphere of influence. By –1,675 the city of Amdo was conquered, and by –1,665, the city of Bön was conquered, and Kingdom of Sakya was born. Peace would not last, even when Sakya conquered most of their enemies. The relatively sparse population of most settlements, and large amount of distance between them allowed political intrigue to foment quite easily. The fact that Sakya was generally ruled by petty men and women who were only interested in their own affairs did not help, either. Periodically, minor rebellions broke out that Sakya was forced to put down violently. In UC –1,550, another rebellion broke out in the kingdom, this time from the city of Bön. What made this rebellion different was that it was led by a monk. The Way was firmly entrenched in the Kingdom of Sakya as the dominant religion, but it was largely apolitical. Those who dedicated their lives to its contemplation generally did so by becoming hermits, isolating themselves from the politics of the land. This monk, named Ganden Norbu, was different. He practiced the concept of ‘engaged spirituality’, in which religious men and women actively engaged in the world to push for transformation that they believed would improve the world. Improbably, Ganden Norbu and his followers delivered defeat after defeat to Sakya forces as they made their way from Bön to Sakya. In –1,548, they arrived on the doorstep of the fortress city, and were able to work out a peaceful surrender of the state. The Kingdom of Bodh was established, with Ganden Norbu being installed as the kingdom’s spiritual and temporal leader. In the language of the Bodhi, ‘Bodh’ means ‘Pure Land’. The first few decades of Ganden Norbu’s reign were peaceful. In UC –1,508, when the High Lama was an elderly 78 years old, the Shou Empire marched north, crossing the unmarked boundary into Bodh’s southern reaches. The Bodhi nomads who lived in the flatlands on the border of the two nations fought back, but they were no match for the Shou Empire’s highly trained and highly equipped army. By UC –1,503, the Shou Empire had conquered the city of Amdo. Compounding matters, Ganden Norbu died a few days after the invasion began, causing the kingdom’s government to grind to a halt as contingency measures were put in place to search for his reincarnation. A council of politicians and elder lamas, known as the ''Khalon Kshag, took control of the government in the absence of the High Lama. This would become a Bodhi tradition, that a Khalon Kshag would come into power and rule the mountain kingdom, until the reincarnation of the High Lama was found, educated, and old enough to take control of the kingdom. In UC –1,505 the second High Lama, Pachan Gungsen, was born. He was not discovered until UC –1,500, and was installed as the leader of Bodh in –1,489. His installation filled the Bodhi people with pride and a wave of nationalism swept the land, renewing in the hearts of most the fires of resistance against the Shou Empire, who had ceased their march slightly to the north of Amdo. In –1,483, after 20 years of occupation, Bodhi forces drove the Shou from Amdo, freeing it. Three years later, they completely routed Shou forces from the Kingdom of Bodh. Starting in UC –1,480, Bodh entered into the ‘Great Peace Era’, a span of hundreds of years where the kingdom existed in relative peace. Oni from the Shadowlands rarely crossed through the Khazari Mountains into the kingdom, and treaties and pacts negotiated with the Shou Empire kept the peace on the border between those two nations. Even more, however, Bodhi culture turned inward. Foreigners, except for a designated few, were barred for the country. For almost 1,000 years, this policy of isolation and inwardness prevailed. In UC –480 the second war between the Shou Empire and Bodh broke out. Leading up to the outbreak of war, High Lama Rabten Gunyung and the Emperor of the Shou Empire, Pao Ting, had been in talks about opening the northern country to foreign trade. Though the High Lama genuinely believed the Shou Emperor, the negotiations were actually a ploy, designed to gain access to the forbidden city of Bön. The diplomats and negotiators were actually highly trained imperial assassins. As the Shou army crossed into Bodhi territory, the assassins struck, killing the High Lama. The move did exactly what the Shou Emperor and his advisors had hoped it would- it threw the Bodhi government into chaos. The provisional Khalon Kshag government was forced to convene in the middle of the invasion, and the Shou were banking on this throwing the council into more chaos than it normally was. They were correct, as the council was slow to convene in the face of sudden tragedy and sluggish to respond to the threat marching up from the south. The Shou gained much of Bodh’s southern reaches as her territory. Amdo was once again captured and conquered by the Shou, but the southern nation didn’t stop there. Shou forces marches as far north as Sakya before becoming bogged down because of resistance and the Holy Kingdom’s harsh weather. Sensing weakness, Oni from the Shadowlands began attacking the kingdom, attempting to overrun Sakya. Now fighting on two fronts, the kingdom virtually crumbled into warring states, as brothers ignored brothers to deal with their own problems. The leaders of the Holy City of Bön abandoned Sakya to protect their own interests. The leaders of Sakya abandoned Amdo to protect their own city. The leaders of smaller towns and villages across the kingdom chose sides based on regional and familial alliances. The Oni invasion in Sakya was eventually routed, but the true damage had been done- Bodh had become fractured. In –265, Shou forces withdrew from central Bodh to Amdo- renamed Shang Zhi by the occupying Shou- after maintaining the territory proved too costly, in both morale and actual funding. They would remain in the nation for roughly another two hundred years, mining the resources in the southern parts of the kingdom, specifically copper. In –75, it was deemed auspicious to simply abandon the harsh Bodhi terrain, as most mines had dried up and increased banditry began drying up the profits the Shou Empire was making. For nearly the next five hundred years, the fractured kingdom existed as various fiefdoms in specific cities and locations. Banditry was rife, and the central plains and reaches of the country existed as dangerous badlands. In 520, a monk emerged from the Holy City of Bön, claiming to be the reincarnation of the High Lama. This caused distress among the Khalon Kshag, the defacto government that had been maintaining control of the city. Condemning the corruption of the government, Drogan Losar began a grassroots campaign against them that quickly empowered him. Finding themselves backed into a corner, the Khalon Kshag declared him the true reincarnation of the High Lama, and ceded control of the country to him. The High Lama began unifying the country once more shortly thereafter. By the end of his life, in UC 580, he succeeded in this endeavor, which is why he remains one of the kingdoms most beloved and important figures. In UC 866, the Shou Empire and the Kingdom of Bohd almost became embroiled in a third war. Hu Tsu Fu, an advisor to the Emperor of the Shou, Emperor Qin II, convinced his lord that the Bohdi leader, High Lama Tanzin Keshre, harbored ill intentions towards their empire. According to Hu Tsu Fu, in retaliation for the two incursions into Bodhi territory, the Bodhi were amassing troops on the border and were going to invade the Shou Empire. Fortunately for all parties involved, the two nations never came to blows. In reality, Hu Tsu Fu had contracted the Taint, and was being controlled by an Oni from the Shadowlands. Before he could convince Emperor Qin II, a Kikuta samurai, the emperor’s personal bodyguards, discovered his corruption and slew the advisor. Since reestablishing itself in UC 580, Bodh kept to a strict policy of isolationism. It was partly a consequence of only recently having been knit back together as a singular nation under one government, but was also partially because of the bad blood directed towards their southern neighbors. In UC 1,064, shortly after coming to power, High Lama Lobsang Ningme sent a delegation to Sheng Long to celebrate Emperor Jing Chien’s birthday. Clearly taken aback, the Shou Emperor invited other delegates to his country to work out a more stable, more permanent peace between the two countries. In UC 1,066, the two countries signed a peace accord that established permanent peace.